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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29775069">like catharsis</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/solamaryllis/pseuds/solamaryllis'>solamaryllis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>remnants of a story [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bumbleby - Freeform, F/F, Spoilers, also fuck irondick, and ruby and weiss, bc im a slut for bees, ref to nora and ren and jaune and penny, so this is for the bees, spoilers for rwby volume 8 episode 10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:34:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,793</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29775069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/solamaryllis/pseuds/solamaryllis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>the scroll rang, and rang, and rang. Blake had nearly hung up, resolved to try again, panic blooming, eyes trained on the outside, a futile attempt to see anything-</p><p>"Blake?"</p><p> </p><p>alternatively, bumbleby brainrot from vol8 ep10</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>remnants of a story [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>like catharsis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>based entirely off of <a href="https://toysoldiers-rwby.tumblr.com/post/644299634706169856/well-blakes-home-town-uses-a-hawaiian-word">this</a> post, some thoughts after the new ep, and raith begging for nonpain. </p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Blake took a deep breath as she called Yang again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had taken to calling Yang whenever she had a free moment, but after the first few came to the conclusion that Yang was out of range and unable to answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was better than the thought that she was ignoring her on purpose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, she didn’t call, she didn’t really feel like she should. She had chosen, once again, to leave Yang, but this time it was different. They both wanted to help people, that much was true but had different ways of doing so. Different paths and the same goal, things like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But after the...creature appeared - could it even be called a Grimm? - she was terrified for her well-being. She wanted to help Penny but didn’t know how, she wanted to help, but Blake hadn’t felt this helpless in a long, long time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all knew Nora had been calling Ren to no avail, Ruby called Jaune every once in a while, and Blake still couldn’t bring herself to call Yang. Hell, she’d even asked Ruby to call Yang for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Penny went haywire, repeating something about the vault, she seemed hacked, they needed to find Pietro-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were brief seconds where one could stop to take a deep breath before running headfirst into the next thing before it ran into you, and it never felt like her lungs could fully expand, like she could truly breathe-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Monstra exploded in a brilliant flash of light and everything screeched to a halt. She ran to the closest window, hearing Weiss’ sharp inhale and the clatter of the tea tray and its contents crashing into the floor. Ruby stopped her pacing before a series of mumbled curses spilled out of her as she dashed out of the house before coming to a stop in the semi-destroyed front lawn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fear knocks on her heart, lets itself in like it has always lived there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And maybe it has. She feels herself freeze, knows it’s the worst response, and then dives for her scroll she’d discarded earlier on the table before the creature came crashing in and brought her thoughts to a standstill. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now her thoughts were on nothing but Yang. Was she alive? Jaune, Ren, Oscar? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yang</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dialed and the scroll rang, but there was no answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, please, please, no, no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears welled in her eyes as she pressed call again, Ruby and Weiss had made their way over to her, staying right out of camera sight, unsure if they could handle what could be on the other side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scroll hung up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Blake immediately hit redial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nora stared at them from her spot on the bed, before turning back to her own scroll and hitting redial for Ren, doing her best to try and keep her breathing even. Trying not to think of what that could mean. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blake, last we knew, they were on the tundra. There is no reason for them to be up here in Atlas, we don’t know-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby, please. We can’t know for sure, and if they are in range to be called, we can almost entirely assume they’re up in Atlas.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby walked over to the door, Weiss holding her in a reassuring hug, while Blake continued dialing, her thoughts far as she turned her gaze to the window, thinking for some reason she’d be able to see Yang from her spot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was running wild in her thoughts she didn’t hear the call connect, and didn’t notice the two, three seconds Yang spent staring at her with an expression of relief, and unadulterated love.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blake?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her ears turned and her eyes darted back to the scroll before her head turned and she felt joy flood her system. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang? Are you okay? Where are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Blake, we’re okay. We’re all okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my Gods, you're here in Atlas-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, where are y’all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re at Schnee Manor.” came Ruby’s voice as she and Weiss appeared over Blake’s shoulder, Weiss waving at her through the camera, the relief visible on all of their faces. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang felt her chest tighten and resolved to spend as least time as she could away from her team. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After talking for a few more moments, Weiss began to lecture about getting out of the seemingly nuclear environment and figuring out a way for Yang and the others to reach them, they set off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a couple of arguments and small revelations under their belt, the group crossed the lawn to the threshold of Schnee Manor, pausing momentarily to gawk at the size of the place before making their way to the door, and after it being thrown open, Yang quickly wrapped up Ruby in a hug and spun her around, her mind relaxing at the feeling of her sister in her arms, knowing that she was alright and no injuries on her. After setting her down so she could go over and give Jaune a once over and squeeze whatever life remained inside of Oscar out of him, she made her way over to Weiss and pulled her into a lighter hug, no spinning her or Weiss would definitely have Arma Gigas chuck her across the foyer and she wasn’t sure her body could handle that right now. Even with an active and passive aura function, and the training she’d put herself through - hell, even her semblance - she was struggling not to sit down and sleep for the next three weeks while her aura worked its magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Weiss let go and Yang took a mini step back before turning to where Blake stood farther back, her posture tense, screaming. Not quite about to bolt, but something similar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake’s gaze was averted, and Yang was a little lost since she couldn’t read Blake as easily when she couldn’t see her eyes. There was a pit in her stomach, her brain suddenly thinking off all the possibilities that Blake could possibly be imagining at the moment, and her body reacted before her mind caught up with it, her left hand reaching up, out, cupping Blake’s face. There was no hesitation as Blake curled into her touch, and Yang rubbed her thumb across her cheek, wishing she could kiss her but knowing better. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her brain reminded her of </span>
  <em>
    <span>honi</span>
  </em>
  <span> and Yang immediately chided herself for not remembering it sooner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake had done it on accident one day a while back, when they were training with the AceOps and the morning had been extra difficult, every one a tad extra tired. Yang had somehow woken up before Blake - it was that bad - and brought the girl a coffee after quite nearly dragging her out of bed. Blake had pushed her head up against hers lightly and Yang had been too transfixed to move. It was a head bonk to her, but there was something so intimate about the move she hadn’t dared break it. At least not until Blake slumped forward and Yang noticed that she’d fallen asleep again and if they didn’t get moving they were going to be late and then things weren’t going to be fun. She’d asked Blake about it later, and Blake had explained </span>
  <em>
    <span>honi</span>
  </em>
  <span> to her, and Yang had felt so honored. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So maybe she could do </span>
  <em>
    <span>honi </span>
  </em>
  <span>now?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang leaned forward and Blake leaned with her, and as their foreheads touched, Yang inhaled sharply as the same intimate sensation from the first time washed over her and she couldn’t stop the deep breath she took, relaxing a bit when she felt Blake do the same. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stood there for a long time, hearing their friends have their interactions, saying their hellos, double-checking that everyone was alright far off in the distance, even if they were only a few feet from each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were in their own world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake shifted left and up, into Yang’s hand, and Yang tilted right, their foreheads still touching but now the tips of their noses as well. A couple of breaths and now they breathed in sync, their breathing heavy, the air filling them both with the sensation of standing atop a mountain. It was fresh, pure, filling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake took a deep breath and felt her lungs fill, felt herself become light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang took a deep breath and felt her lungs fill, felt herself become grounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake remembered the times she’d come close to doing this with Yang at Beacon, remembers all the lost time - but isn’t weighed down by it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang remembered all the times she’d wanted to hold Blake, pull her close, just </span>
  <em>
    <span>touch</span>
  </em>
  <span> her, remember all those half-reaches - but doesn’t regret.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stand there and breathe each other in, curling into each other, forgetting for a minute the war, the death, the bleakness of the situation burning around them. They forget that there are other people in the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A feeling, much like catharsis, washes over them, and they can sense each other so intimately - </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Later Weiss would swear she nearly saw their auras reaching for each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby would just smile at them, with eyes knowing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They shared each other for a few more seconds and could have stood there for centuries, unfazed by time, but a screech that was quickly identified as the Atlas Emergency Broadcast system jolted them out of their reverie and into combat positions. Well, Yang at least. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake’s hands flew to her ears and she hunkered down as if that would somehow alleviate the torture her ears were feeling. Yang turned her head to look at her and opened her mouth to speak but Ruby had pulled out her scroll and the broadcast had begun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They drifted towards each other, entirely unaware of it, and by the end of the broadcast were nearly touching. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake and Yang looked at each other before looking at the rest of their friends, a feeling of dread washing out most of the high from the sharing of </span>
  <em>
    <span>ha </span>
  </em>
  <span>during </span>
  <em>
    <span>honi</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but they made each other a promise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not again. Never again would they split in that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as they all got together and did their best to figure out how they could accomplish what they needed to accomplish while evading Ironwood and protecting Mantle. As they shared stories of what they’d discovered, what they’d gone through, Blake and Yang leaned towards each other, trying to hold onto each other, and to the feeling, they’d shared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If this was their last day, might as well do what one can to save the planet, save the city, while holding on to that feeling, the feeling much like catharsis. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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